The Best CGI Characters in Movie History

The arrival of the second big summer movie of 2019,Detective Pikachu, brings with it a fully-realized CGI version of the most recognizable character from the Poké-verse. As voiced by Ryan Reynolds, this version of Pikachu is a sleuth trying to help a human Pokémon hunter uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding his father’s disappearance.

The noir-ish tendencies of Detective Pikachu only serve to highlight the presence of the CG version of Pikachu, who walks, talks, and otherwise interacts with plenty of humans and Pokémon in the film. The CG on a film like this has to work incredibly well, and it serves as a reminder that few directors have ever created truly indelible, lifelike CG characters. So let’s take a look at the 10 best examples of non-practical, special-effects-like characters in cinema. Maybe — just maybe — Pikachu will make the list.